Domotics, Smart Homes, and Parkinson’s Disease

Abstract

Technology has an increasing presence and role in the management of Parkinson’s disease. Whether embraced or rebuffed by patients and clinicians, this is an undoubtedly growing area. Wearable sensors have received most of the attention so far. This review will focus on technology integrated into the home setting; from fixed sensors to automated appliances, which are able to capture information and have the potential to respond in an unsupervised manner. Domotics also have the potential to provide ‘real world’ context to kinematic data and therapeutic opportunities to tackle challenging motor and non-motor symptoms. Together with wearable technology, domotics have the ability to gather long-term data and record discrete events, changing the model of the cross-sectional outpatient assessment. As clinicians, our ultimate goal is to maximise quality of life, promote autonomy, and personalise care. In these respects, domotics may play an essential role in the coming years.